The Australian and New South Wales Governments have launched a new $25 million program to boost rooftop solar energy adoption in apartment buildings, aiming to make clean energy more accessible for residents.
The program, the Solar for Apartment Residents incentive, will provide co-funding for owners’ corporations and strata managers to install shared rooftop solar systems, potentially saving residents up to $600 per year on energy bills.
Currently, apartments make up one in five homes in NSW, yet only around 3.5 per cent of them have access to solar.
The initiative seeks to address this gap by covering up to 50 per cent of installation costs, with a cap of $150,000 per project.
The funding is part of the Federal Government’s Solar Banks Scheme, a program designed to make renewable energy more accessible to households across Australia.
NSW Government will oversee the program, assess applications and distribute funds to successful applicants.
Eligible properties include apartment buildings with three to 55 units that have not installed a solar PV system in the past 10 years.
Applications are open until 1 December 2025, or until funds are fully allocated.
NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said the initiative would remove key barriers for apartment residents looking to access renewable energy.
“Solar should be available to everyone. This program removes the barriers to renewable energy for units and apartments, making it easier and more affordable to adopt solar,” she said.
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